Vicki Meadows Barb's race HIM plan
Race is on Saturday, this will be my second HIM (Vineman 70.3 was my first so almost identical course)
Main goal is to enjoy the day and practice execution for my first full ironman in Nov (IMAZ). Secondary is to beat my time from last year (where my goal was to finish under the time limit and I just did!) - should be easily doable, if I can hit 7:00 hrs I will be dancing the happy dance of joy (at least in my head) because I had a perfectly executed race
Thursday
Meet girlfriends and load up the car
Leave San Diego around 8:00AM – reverse commute out of SD, miss LA and San Francisco traffic (Ha Ha)
7:00-8:00 PM arrive at cabin and check-in
Buy food for the weekend
Friday
Try to swim first thing if possible, otherwise after packet pick up - get in, feel temp and fresh water no big effort
Big breakfast (pancakes, eggs, potatoes etc)
Drive bike course drink Nuun
Bring passport for photo ID (since my purse was stolen during RR2 
)
Aim for early Mandatory meeting 12:30, 1:30, or 2:30, (Windsor High School Theater)
Run Gear Drop-off
Race belt with number
Fuel belt with, 1 gel, a few powerbar bites, salt sticks, blistex (can get shotblocks, gels from course if I need them but I've been training with 1 gel)
Sunscreen
Shoes
Extra pair of socks (just in case)
Hat
Bottle of water and perform powder for mixing - afraid to pre-mix and leave sitting in the sun all day
Cooling scarf
Lunch - sandwich
Pack gear for Saturday and rest – watch movies, eat pretzels, drink Nuun…
Light Dinner rice and chicken
Bed by 9:00 – hopefully asleep soon after
Saturday
Get up at 4:30 AM – eat, get dressed, Desoto shorts, heart rate monitor, EN singlet, Fenix2 watch
Steel cut oats with scoop of protein powder, chia seeds, raisins, honey, banana, bottle of perform, ice tea (132g carb and 668 calories)
5:00 AM transition opens and stays open, walk to transition around 5:45
6:00 AM arrive at transition, sip perform until 7:30
Set-up T1
Turn on Garmin and set to stay on
Bike with helmet on aero bars, helmet has sun glasses, cellphone and spray-on sunscreen, sunscreen stick for nose,
Towel with bike shoes and socks rolled up (fold towel over shoes), water bottle to spray feet and take gel before race
Bento box has blistex, powerbar cut into 1/8 bites and salt sticks
7:30 AM eat ½ powerbar, load stuff I don't need in bag, put on wetsuit, spray legs and arms with tri-slide to help get wetsuit off, glide on neck, sunscreen on face, make sure I have my timing chip on! secure with safety pin
8:00 AM eat a gel (honey stinger) with water, goggles and swim cap – head to river
8:15 AM warm-up, water in wetsuit, goggles not fogging or leaking, swim, deep breaths
8:30 AM Barb’s race start – my wave 8:33
Swim
Line up in the middle or close to buoy towards the back, deep breaths
Relax, fingers down, be long and swim as straight as possible
Don’t walk, dolphin dive if have to, at turnaround stay towards the middle of the river
Expect 45-50 min
Exit and begin removing wet-suit, smile and don’t look like I’m half drown in my race photo (like I always do)
T1 –
Rinse mud from feet and wipe dry with towel
Put on socks and shoes
Sunglasses, spray generously with sunscreen, sunscreen stick on face, blistex on lips, helmet on,
Blistex in bento and sunscreen stick in jersey pocket
Cellphone in jersey pocket
Load everything else in bag to be carried to finish line
Bike (starting temp ~60) – enjoy the cool start for bike around 9:20-9:30 finish around 1:00-1:30 (3:30-4hr)
Walk bike up steep boat ramp
Ride first 20-30 min paying attention to heart-rate. Goal is to bring it down to 130 even if it feels like I’m going much slower than I need to. Nice and flat, stay aero and deep breaths. Drink small sips if I’m thirsty
Don’t crash on underpass
Rolling hills for most of the rest of the course – if road is rough, go into drops for downhill but try to stay aero as much as possible to conserve energy
Chalk hill – put bike in low gear and easy spin, sing a song in my head and remember I'm much stronger than I was last year
Nutrition: Start bike with 3 bottles of perform, ~2 powerbars cut into 1/8 pieces and salt sticks
It will get hot so I expect to drink ~1.5 bottles of perform or Gatorade per hour and take one salt stick. Sweat test said 1 bottle per hour but in recent training in the heat, I was drinking 1.5. Should not need additional calories with perform but will need ½ powerbar per hour once I switch to Gatorade endurance (what they are serving on the course)
Garmin set to beep every 15 min (eat 1/8 powerbar after switching to Gatorade)
Pickup Gatorade at all aid stations
Porta potty stop at mile 40?
T2
Rack bike
Helmet off
More sunscreen
Put on hat and race number
Change into running shoes
Add perform powder to bottle and put in running belt
Grab running belt and cooling scarf and start walking to get legs moving. Move cellphone to belt, put it on and take salt stick. Get head set to start running
Run: predicted high of 87 (hot for me) expect to take ~2.5 hrs, overall aim to keep heart rate below 150 until the end, keep smiling
Nutrition 1.5 bottles of perform/Gatorade per hour, gel and salt stick (1-2) at mile 6
· If my stomach starts cramping (which it does in the heat) cool with water, ice at aid station, take salt stick and drink. Slow down and take deep breaths.
Miles 0-3
· Get legs moving and pay attention to pace and heart-rate, keep heart rate below 140, 10:45-11 min miles
· I think there is a pretty substantial hill at mile 2-3? go at easy pace and keep heart-rate low
Miles 4-10
· 10:15-10:30 on flats, keep heart rate low on hills and keep an eye on heart rate for signs of overheating
· Walk aid stations, get ice, cooling scarf wet, water on head
· Mile 6, eat gel, take salt stick
Miles 11-13
· Finish up last hill, take very slow if necessary to keep heart rate down, stay cool
· Try cola (see how it works for me since I might use during my ironman later this year)
· After last hill, maintain (or increase) pace, no walking except aid stations. I am the energizer bunny
Cross the finish line with a smile, grab a snack and wait for my friends to finish (assuming I finish first 
)
Comments
how many race rehearsals did you do with your nutrition? Did you have any issues with it in the past? Or does everything work out well?
BTW, Coke on the run is amazing!!!!
The biggest issue on the bike is seeing my garmin in aero (I have a road bike with clip on bars). I made my numbers bigger with heartrate on the top and that seems to help. I didn't find a good way to move it.
On the phone, good point. I'm taking it because it is a split transition and I want to have it at the finish line to find my friends. I have it in a waterproof lifeproof case to protect from things like my 4 year old tossing it in the pool (or worse!) so it should be ok.
Hi Vicki,
It looks pretty complete to me. It looks like you know the course.
One suggestion for the perform on the run, I'm doing the Vineman and have done it several times before, what I do for the run is make up my bottles the night before and freeze them and put them in a soft sided cooler and put them in the run special needs bag. Since the special needs bag for the run is on the way out I can stop by and pick a fresh, COLD, bottle up every lap. Did I say cold? I also put the first bottle in the fuel belt with my nutrition so all I have to do is grab it and run. It works well for me.
Good luck, perhaps I'll see you out there on the run.
Good luck Vicki! I'll be there too (starting in the 8:30 wave).
Remember, drink more on the bike if it is going to be toasty. And get that salt in ya. This should help with cramps.
Vicki - I messaged you my number. Safe travels and maybe I'll see you Saturday!